Dragostea Nu Are Ochi
by Kaoru-chan21
Summary: AU[1945] After crash landing in Romania, Kenshin Himura is saved by a beautiful gypsy woman. He soon is caught up in a battle of humanity agaisnt old war phantoms. It makes him question the sanity of the world and the reasons for living.
1. Still Shaking, Still in Pain

Dragostea Nu Are Ochi

Chapter One

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New York City, September, 1945

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With the end of World War II came a peace amongst most men. However, the bitter hatred that fueled the Nazi regime still lived on; it is a part of mans' nature to hate. It is because of hate that we kill. It is because of killing that we hate.

And so begins the vicious cycle that one man was soon to realize. And in his realization he was soon to question: Is doing nothing the same as hating because we do not love each other enough to stop the violence? Is dieing for a cause better then living with nothing to live for? Is courage, insanity and love one in the same?

Are we meant for more then just living?

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A cool breeze met the man as he stepped out of the large New York museum. The wind ruffled his blood red hair and he smiled. He looked up at the sky and winced while shading his amethyst eyes that resigned behind small, rectangular glasses, which sat securely on the bridge of his nose. The man took a deep breath and called a taxi to stop.

"HEY YOU, MORON!!!!!!" a loud voice boomed across the air. The man turned and saw a strongly built black haired man standing impatiently at the door of the building he just left. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"Uncle," the man replied, "my shift ended. I'm going home."

"Didn't you get the memo?! I have an assignment for you!" the black haired man shouted again, successfully gaining the attention of everyone on the street.

"Oro . . ." the man said embarrassed, as he unwillingly returned to the building. He followed the black haired man through the halls of the museum, trying to keep up with him. The man's strides were short compared to that of the black haired man.

"We're here." The black haired man stopped suddenly and the man crashed into him. "You moron. Alright . . ." He opened the doors and there was a long table filled with museum committee members.

The members all smiled and one said, "So is this the boy you promised us, Hiko?" 

"Yes. He's kind of small, and not very well built, but he's your man." The black haired man, Hiko, pushed the man forward, into the room.

"What? What's going on?!" the man asked.

"Kenshin Himura, we have a mission for you."

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"Uncle, please don't make me get on this plane!" Kenshin whined again. "I- I don't' like heights!"

"You're such a wimp," Hiko replied. "This will toughen you up." Hiko pushed him onto the small charter plane. Kenshin tried to resist again, but Hiko jabbed him in the chest, knocking him into the plane. "Have fun, you idiot!"

"God, I'll murder you when I'm back, Hiko!" Kenshin shouted as the door of the plane closed. A pilot told him to sit down, and he did so. The pilot took his bag and stored it above him.

"This your first plane ride, kid?" the pilot asked with a smile.

"No... But it will be my last… and please don't call me 'kid', I'm 26 years old." Kenshin muttered, taking out a book to read.

"What cha' doing on a trip like this? All the way to Romania?" the pilot asked, checking instruments and getting the plane ready.

"My uncle, the jerk, owns a museum. He _graciously_ allows me to work there as an archeologist/translator/tour guide." Kenshin sighed, taking out a pair of thin glasses. "Really, I would like to be somewhere else, but who's complaining? It's good pay."

The pilot pushed a few buttons on the control board, "Still doesn't answer: Why Romania?"

"Well," Kenshin sighed again, "as of late, my uncle and the committee members of the museum have taken an interest in early Byzantine art. There are rumors of an old church that holds icons from early A.D. times... My uncle just wants some for his collection. Since I'm the only one who knows about these sorts of things... I was first choice..."

"I see..." the captain nodded. "What's a Byzantine?"

The other pilot cut them off, "Prepare to take off."

Kenshin turned to his book and began to read.

_Les Miserables _

_Fantine_

_Book I-The Fall_

_The Night of a Day's Tramp_

_An hour before sunset of the evening of a day in the beginning of October, 1815, a man traveling afoot entered the little town of..._

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"Hey, wait a minute..." a pilot said, tapping an instrument on the plane's dashboard. "That can't be right..."

The other pilot looked over, lazily, "We checked it at the pit-stop in France, why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't trust the French... maybe they messed with it," the first answered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

The second pilot laughed, "Why would they-... Hey! Hey! We're losing altitude!"

"What?! That's impossible!!"

"Jesus Christ!! Look outside!!" he answered, tapping the window, where clouds were rising quickly, and the ground was coming up.

"Pull up!!"

The pilot tugged at the steering wheel, "She won't!!"

"Instruments failing!!" The pilot picked up the radio transmitter, "Hey this is flight 194! Instruments failing! We're gonna crash!" There was no answer, only the crackling sound of static. "Shit!"

The other pilot leaned backwards, "Hey, Sir!!" Kenshin woke up and stared out the window for a second. The pilot shouted at him, "Sir! We're gonna crash!"

Kenshin jumped, "What the hell?!"

"You better sit tight!! We're gonna try to land safely!"

"Do you even know where we are?" Kenshin asked, quickly buckling the seat.

"We're over Romania, but that's about as much as we know..." the one answered.

"Holy shit!! Mountains!!" the other pilot cried.

"Mountains?!!"

"They must be the Carpathian Mountains! I didn't know we were this far northeast!"

The plane flew closer and closer, and there was nothing they could do but wait for the impact and pray.

The collision's painfully loud crash was heard for miles.

The plane smashed into the side of the mountain and was crushed into itself. The metal was twisted and warped everywhere. The two pilots were thrown against the walls, and glass shards were everywhere. Kenshin was thrown form his seat and he landed on the now destroyed floor. Glass shards had cut him everywhere; his face, arms, legs, and chest. Metal beams fell everywhere around him. Kenshin rolled over so he was on his back. He panted and stared at the ceiling while gingerly covering his left cheek with his hand. He pulled his hand back and saw a perfect line of blood trace on his palm vertically.

The plane gave a sudden tug and Kenshin froze. The plane began to tumble down the mountainside and everything bounced around. Kenshin grabbed onto the nearest inanimate object that seemed stable. The small craft vaulted downward and Kenshin was painfully flung from his position the floor to the wall and ceiling. He felt a piece of glass or metal cut him in a horizontal line, overlapping the one he just received. He winced and moved his arm to cover his cheek, but a surge of pain went through him.

_My arm must be broken,_ he thought bitterly.

He opened his eyes and watched the metal being flung around him, praying that the aircraft would stop its movement soon.

His prayers were answered as the small vessel stopped abruptly as if it hit something. He was hurled from his spot and landed on the other side of the plane, where a sharp metal rod pierced his abdomen. He cried out in pain and pushed himself away from the rod with his one good arm.

He lay on the floor, and assessed the situation. His left arm was broken, and it felt as if his right leg was too. He was bleeding profusely from the wound in his abdomen and there were cuts all over his body. The pilots seemed knocked out, if not dead and he had no way of contacting anyone. There probably wasn't a soul around for miles either.

He began to cough from smoke, and realized that there must be a fire in the plane. "I should get out of here..." he spoke to no one, sitting up, "before this thing moves again..." He winced in pain and tried to use the wall to help him stand. He held himself up with the wall and walked out of the plane, clumsily. He looked around at the environment. He was in a forest and there were large trees everywhere. It seemed to be a beautiful day, but he could hardly notice, being in all the pain that he was in. He tried to manage his way through the forest, clumsily, but his foot caught on a rock and he began tumbling down the hill. He clenched his jaw and tried to stop, but to no avail.

A few seconds later his body smacked into a tree, and he halted. He groaned in pain and looked up at the sky, which was barely visible through the trees.

_Send me an angel, _he silently prayed as he slipped into a realm of unconscious sleep.

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About a mile form the crash site, a young, black-haired Gypsy girl was rushing through the forest. She had, in her hands, a bow and arrow ready to attack. She heard the thunderous crash and began running towards the scene. Her sapphire blue eyes watched from a distance as the plane started tumbling down the side of the mountain.

She followed it down and saw a man with fiery red hair lamely step out of the plane. She began to run over to him, but he tripped and started tumbling downward. She ran after his body and when he hit the tree, painfully, she stopped. His lavender eyes were open and looking at the sky. She looked over his handsome face and the bloody X on his left cheek from where she was as he passed out. She ran over to him and stood over his limp body.

"Ce s-a întâmplat?!" she asked in Romanian. "Domnule!"

She crouched down over him and felt his forehead; he was hot. _He's badly wounded, _she thought to herself. _I should get him to sister… she's a good enough medicine woman... She'd know what to do..._

The man stirred and she gasped slightly in surprise.

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Kenshin opened his eyes and a blurry picture of a woman appeared. She had long, wavy, black hair that was loose, and sapphire blue eyes. She looked confused and he blinked, trying to get a clear image.

"Jignire?" she asked, trying to speak simple, so that he might understand.

He saw her better now; she was beautiful.

"Inger," he replied quietly. He opened his eyes more and they just starred at each other.

In that moment, sapphire blue met lavender purple, and the wheels of destiny began to turn...

Round and round...

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A/N:

_All translations will be here, along with what language they are in_

Hey everyone! I'm back with another story! I really hope people enjoy this one! I know people enjoy my others . . . but you know . . . well I don't know! OKAY! So, this story should prove to be interesting . . . yes . . . yes indeed . . .

I don't pretend to know about planes! I just used what I did know to get by!

Definitions:

(All are Romanian)

Ce s-a întâmplat? - _What has happened?_

Domnule- _Sir_

Jignire? - _Name?_ _(She doesn't know what he speaks so she used one word. Also, I couldn't find, 'what's your name?' in Romanian… I need a dictionary)_

Inger- _You'll find out what this means in the next chapter!! Hope to see you there!_

Ciao


	2. There's A Rain Cloud in the Desert Sky

Dragostea Nu Are Ochi

Chapter Two

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_Romany is the language of the Gypsies, and all translations to most phrases can be found in the A/N_

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"_Inger," he replied quietly. He opened his eyes more and they just starred at each other._

_A-Angel?_ she thought while still staring at him. _H-he called me an angel??_

"Please…" he spoke in Romanian, "help me…"

"What has happened?" she asked again.

"Our plane… it crashed… the others… please help us." He winced and she turned to look at the plane. It was a miracle he survived. She didn't think anyone else would be as lucky. "Please… I beg of you… just look…"

She made a sympathetic face, and began to walk towards the plane. She stepped through the mangled doorway and looked around. She saw two bodies on the floor and she rushed to them. The girl checked both of their pulses; nothing. She was about to leave when something on the floor caught her eye. It was a black book, with unusual writing on the cover that she was not able to read. _Maybe it belongs to that man, _she thought while stepping out of the plane and to the injured stranger.

She kneeled next to him and showed him the book, "Is this yours?"

He took the book with a slightly pained smile, "Well, fate has been merciful to me, I see."

"Come sir," the woman said, "We should get you to my home, and my sister, the medicine lady, will help you."

He tried to stand, but the wound in his abdomen pained him to much, and he fell to his knees. The woman kneeled and took his one arm to place it around her neck. Together they stood and she directed him towards her home.

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Kenshin watched the girl from the corner of his eye. _She's beautiful… _he thought, his thoughts going from one thing to the next. _She's kind, sweet, strong… _

"-everything…" he whispered in English, not realizing he said it out loud. She looked over at him and his body became suddenly limp. The girl was suddenly jerked downwards with his body.

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"Whoa!" the girl cried as she was pulled down. "Hey! Hey sir!" There was no answer, so she laid him down on the ground. She kneeled over him thinking, _Oh man, oh man, what should I do? If only I paid more attention to sister, when she was talking about medicine! Oh… ohh… if I don't help him-! It'd be my fault! Oh, what am I going to do?! Wait a minute!!_

She tugged the necklace beneath her shirt out to reveal a whistle on a chain. _Please hear me…_ she thought hopefully. Then she blew hard into the whistle. Her breath made the whistle shrill loudly. She blew again, and waited.

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Kenshin stirred. An unfamiliar aroma had awoken him. He could hear voices, speaking in Romanian. One belonged to the girl, and the other to an unknown woman. He could only make out pieces of what they were saying.

"-you did well this time," the unknown one giggled. "He's a really cutie."

The girl he knew hushed the other one, "Sister! You know it's not like that!"

"Right, then why were there no other survivors?" the girl's sister laughed.

"You know I wouldn't do such a thing!" the girl defended. "And besides, that's awful coming from a woman of medicine, such as yourself!"

"I know but- oh!" The room gave a jolt and it was then that Kenshin registered that they were moving. His eyes snapped open and he looked around. It was a very small room, packed with boxes, besides the bed he laid on and a small counter. The two women were sitting; the girl on the floor, and her sister on a box.

The girl's sister was very attractive. She had long, midnight black hair, and brown eyes. She was considerably taller then her sibling and much more mature looking, he noticed, as she sat on a box with her legs crossed properly. _Man, a family of heart breakers, huh? _Kenshin mused.

He turned and looked at the girl with no name, who was sitting on the floor, with her legs bent, in a very tomboyish manor. _Good thing she wears pants, _he mentally laughed. _Although, I think, she's much prettier then her sister…_ He watched as her sapphire blue eyes turned to meet his.

"Sir!" she said while jumping up. "Are you feeling ok?"

He smiled and was about to lie, but a wave of burning overcame him. He winced, "It feels like I'm on fire… eternally." He realized he had spoken in English and was trying to translate it in his head. "Uh…"

"I understand," the sister said with an accent. "It's the medicine. It'll allow you to heal faster."

"You speak English?" Kenshin asked, although the answer was obvious.

"Yes, I learned it when studying medicine," she smiled. She turned to a cabinet that securely held small jars and bottles. She pulled a dark blue, see-through bottle out and turned to him, "This will help! Won't feel the pain much, if you're asleep!"

Kenshin made a face, "That's great… you could kill me in my sleep and I wouldn't feel a thing"

The older woman laughed, "You're a pessimistic one, aren't you?"

"Sorry, I was just on a plane that crashed and I barely made it out alive. I'm terribly pessimistic, you're right." He rolled his eyes.

"I am! You made it out alive didn't you?" she laughed and poured the contents of the bottle into a cup.

She handed the cup to him. He stared into the repulsively green liquid that reeked of petroleum. He stared back at her, "You actually want me to drink this?"

"Yes."

"Great…" he muttered. "Well, I just hope it's not poison," he said as her downed the cup. He coughed a bit, "You know it wasn't as bad as it smelled." The woman laughed and he looked up, already feeling the effects of the drug. "I'm sorry; I never asked your names."

The old woman smiled, "I'm Megumi Kamiya."

The name rang a bell, but he couldn't think of it at the moment. "Ah," he smiled, now extremely sleepy. The girl stood and sat down next to him on the bed. He smiled. He tried to keep his eyes open, to look at her, "And you're the angel."

The girl blushed and laughed, "Sir, I think you're delirious again."

"No." His eyes were closing now. "I prayed for an angel, and you… rescued… me…" he fell asleep mid-sentence.

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Kenshin opened his eyes. He was in a city. New York City. He glanced around and saw that the streets were empty. He turned around and saw his uncle's museum.

He ran inside, feeling as if he was being pulled by some unanimous force. He ran through the "Truth of Dracula" section, set up to educate people on the subject. Of course Kenshin knew the story very well, because this was the main section that he toured people through. His uncle had saw it fitting, since one of the languages he spoke was Romanian and he was very educated in early European history.

That section led off into a gallery of pictures found in Romania. He looked around. One picture was calling him. _Which is it?! _he thought, now becoming irritated. He turned until he stopped at one picture. It was a painting of a woman. A Gypsy woman. More precisely, a gypsy 'queen'. She was dressed in a beautiful dark pink dress with a floral pattern. Her dark straight hair was down, and framed her beautiful face. Kenshin looked at her eyes.

_Sapphire blue?_

He read the name next to the painting.

"_Liliana Kamiya, wife of Kalderasha Kamiya, a Gypsy Bulibasha (leader)"_

_Huh…Famous family… _Kenshin thought.

He turned around and saw the girl. He looked from the picture to the girl and noticed the striking resemblance. Something suddenly clicked. He stared at the girl with wide eyes.

"Y-You're….. You're a Gypsy!" he said in amazement. She tilted her head to the side and smiled. "Wait a minute… you're not just a Gypsy…" he started, his mind racing, "if I'm right, you're Gypsy royalty!"

She smiled and stepped back.

Kenshin stepped forward, "Wait! What's your name?"

She giggled slightly and stepped backward again while vanishing slowly.

"Wait!" he called. "Don't go! Don't leave!"

She mouthed something in Romany and disappeared.

He reached for her, but felt nothing, "Wait!" He started falling, through a sea of shadows. As he fell, looked around and found nothing.

Suddenly he hit the ground and opened his eyes.

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Kenshin blinked. He was back in the covered wagon. Megumi Kamiya was sitting on a box. There was a tall man standing next to her, with brown hair and brown eyes. Megumi was smiling sympathetically. Her lips were moving, but Kenshin couldn't really hear her. The tall man placed a hand on her shoulder. The man said something but no sound emitted. Megumi laughed silently. The man brushed some of her hair out of her face affectionately. He leaned closer to her.

Kenshin watched sleepily. It was then he registered that they had been speaking, but he had heard nothing. He sat straight up and touched his ears. He spoke, and he knew he spoke, but he couldn't hear himself. He turned to Megumi who was staring at him, in slight shock.

"What's going on?!" he said, and only heard in his mind. "Why can't I hear?!"

Megumi mouthed something and he shook his head, saying he didn't understand. She smiled and reached for a bottle of liquid on her shelf. She gave it to him to drink and he did so readily. He finished the bottle and saw that the girl was standing in the door. She mouthed something, but her speech was a whisper, although he did hear something.

The girl came and sat next to Kenshin on the bed. She said something and he pointed to his ears. "I can't hear you," he said. She said something to her sister and laughed.

She then spoke directly into his ear. Her breath tickled his ear and he tried not to turn beat red. "I said," she repeated, "'How are you feeling?'"

"Fine," he said, nodding.

"Good," she said. Her lips were so close to his ear, he knew for sure that he was completely red. "I never told you my name…" He turned and looked at her with his eyebrows raised. She tugged his ear and he turned his head so she could tell him, "It's-"

The wagon gave a sudden jolt. The girl was thrown on top of Kenshin. She turned a shade of dark red and hastily got up. He heard a man laugh and turned.

"I can hear again!" Kenshin chuckled, happy that he heard himself.

The tall man grinned, "Droboy tume Romale, Raklo!"

"What?" Kenshin frowned.

Megumi giggled, "He's speaking Romany."

Kenshin nodded then frowned again, "I thought you spoke Romanian… That's what she spoke to me in when I met her…" he motioned to the girl. She raised an eyebrow, not able to understand English.

Megumi shook her head, "She didn't know you spoke English, and she can't speak it well anyway. She spoke to you in Romanian because she thought you were from the towns. I speak Romanian and English because I studied them. This idiot here," she indicated the tall, brown haired man, "only speaks Romany."

The girl smiled, getting the feel of the conversation. She then said in Romanian, "He said, Good morning, Raklo."

"Raklo?"

"Non-Romany," Megumi answered. She gestured to the tall man, "His name is Sanosuke Sagara."

Upon hearing his name, Sanosuke bowed, "Adro miro tem penena mande o baro!"

The girl laughed,"Dovo's a huckaben!"

Megumi shook her head. "Sano you're so full of yourself!" She turned to Kenshin, "He just said, In my country I am known as the great gentleman….. Don't listen to a word he says!"

The girl was still laughing, "He always lies about himself! He really needs to try and be humble once in a while, you know?"

Kenshin was smiling as well now, "Sure…"

Megumi then said something to Sanosuke and shushed out the door. "Kushti ratti!" he called over his shoulder.

"Kushti ratti!" the girl called back, smiling. Sano mumbled something else and the girl's face turned completely red. "Dinilo!!" she shouted.

Sanosuke grinned and hopped out the wagon door. Kenshin thought for a moment, _If we're moving… where did he go? _He heard footsteps on the wooden roof that answered his question. _He must have gone with the driver…?_

Kenshin turned to the girl, who was now sitting on the floor, "What was that phrase you both used just now?" he asked in Romanian.

"It means, 'Good night'," she smiled.

"And what did he say to you-…"

"Never mind that!" she said turning away. Kenshin smiled. The girl got up and grabbed a parcel wrapped in cloth. She threw it to him and he caught it, but then it slipped out of his fingers and he dropped it. She shook her head, "Not very coordinated, I see."

Kenshin rolled his eyes, then turned to Megumi, "How long was I out?"

"Well," she said, thinking, "the first time was about three days… and after I put you to sleep, about four days… So, about seven days total! And just think, you haven't eaten in that long either!" she poked his stomach, "You're nothing but skin and bones!"

Kenshin grimaced, "Thanks…" He turned towards the parcel and opened it. Inside the cloth were two items; his book, and his glasses. Unfortunately, the book seemed a bit worn, even though he had just bought it, and his glasses were snapped at the bridge. "Story of my life…" Kenshin muttered.

Megumi took the glasses form him, "Do you need these to see?"

"Only to read," he answered. "And I do that so often, I just always keep them on." He opened his book and squinted. _My eyes are getting worse…_ he thought, sourly.

The girl sat down next to him. "What kind of book is that?"

"Its fiction," he answered. "It's called, Les Miserables."

"Les Miserables? That's an odd name for a book," she said.

"Kenshin laughed, "It's French for: the miserables… or something to that effect."

"I see," she nodded and took the book from it. She opened it and examined the text.

Kenshin smiled, and then turned to Megumi, "You're Gypsies, are you not?"

Megumi looked surprised, "Yes."

Kenshin thought for a moment, "Is Kalderasha Kamiya you're father?"

Megumi looked even more surprised, "No."

Kenshin looked put-out for a moment, but the girl spoke, without looking up form the book, "He's our grandfather."

Kenshin thought for a moment, _That would make sense actually… it would have been odd for a painting to have been made so recently and be hanging in our museum._

The girl looked up, "Where are you from, Raklo?"

"New York City," he smiled, fondly.

"You're from the across the ocean?" she asked.

"Yes," he responded, a little confused. "Why?

"I just… always wanted to go there… It's a silly dream, but we all have at least one of those. You know what I mean?" She smiled blandly.

"Yeah, I think I do. Tell you what," he started, leaning towards her, "you tell me your name, and I'll take you around New York some day."

Her smile turned mischievous. "You're sly, Raklo, but I think I can do that."

"Well? What's your name?"

"Kaoru Kamiya."

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A/N:

Hey people! I'm really liking being able to write this! It's so fun to write it! But, alas, you'll never know… You'll only know to enjoy reading it…. Hahah ok, I'm done being weird.

I really should write Gunshot Roses, because as I'm writing this, only the ninth chapter is up and ten hasn't even been started... hahah. I'm reluctant to write the ending, because people will murder me for what I'm going to do to Kaoru… Poor Kaoru…

But you know what, I'll be posting this after I'm done with Gunshot Roses, so you people have probably already read Gunshot Roses… Ok, I'm not making sense… this backwards and forwards in time crap is making my head hurt too….

Did anyone notice (I _just_ did) how Kenshin had taken one medicine for his injuries and woke up, feeling like he was on fire, then he took one to put him in a deep sleep, and he couldn't hear. It would be funny if a side-effect of the one he took for his ears made him like purple with green spots! Haha!

That's all for now!

Translations:

Dovo's a huckaben- that is untrue, (Romany)

Kushti ratti- Good night (Romany)

Dinilo- Idiot (Romany)

Adro miro tem penena mande o baro- Where I come from (In my village), they call me the great gentlemen!

Droboy tume Romale- greeting (Romany)

Ciao


	3. Angel or Devil

Dragostea Nu Are Ochi

Chapter Three

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_Once again, most translations can be found in the A/N_

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"May I ask you something?"

Megumi turned from her medicine mixing, in surprise, and faced Kenshin, who was lying in the cot. "Yes," she answered, turning back to the mixture.

"Where are we going? I've been on in this wagon for almost 2 weeks, and I still don't know where on earth we are," he said, sitting up.

"We are in Romanian," Megumi teased. Kenshin made a face and she answered his question. "We are heading towards our village. We just came from selling our goods at the town fair. We go every three months. I must go, in the event of an illness or injury."

"Your village?" Kenshin asked in disbelief.

"Yes. What? Did I say it wrong?"

"No, it's just… I thought that "raklos" weren't allowed in the village." He tried to remember if that was the proper saying of that word.

"First of all," Megumi sighed, "never use the word… it sounds pathetic when you say it. Second, you're a special raklo. You're small, so you probably won't hurt anyone. You don't seem muscular, so I don't think you'll be challenging our leader and winning anytime soon."

"Ouch…" he muttered.

"And lastly, and most importantly, you're injured. I can't turn a blind eye, just because you're from over the seas." She laughed and looked towards the door. "We'll be home soon, and you'll meet my father. It's a rather large town. Not as big as New York, but just as noisy. You'll be at home, Raklo."

Kenshin heard two feet drop down from the roof of the wagon and he looked to the door. Kaoru pushed back the curtain. She said something to her sister, which Kenshin did not pick up, and turned towards him. "We are almost home, Raklo."

"Great…"

"Again with the pessimism," Megumi said, as Kaoru started laughing. "Are all Americans like you?"

"No, only the ones who've gone through tragedy."

Kaoru turned to her sister, while pulling a dagger out of its sheath, "Sako peskero charo dikhel…"

Megumi laughed and nodded her head. Kenshin rolled his eyes and turned to look around the room. "Have you seen my book?"

"No," Kaoru answered, while studying the knife.

Megumi took a quick look around the room. "Is it not here?"

"I don't see it…" he muttered.

"It's right here," Kaoru answered. She threw the book at him. "Open your eyes next time."

"Yeah, I'll remember that…" he answered, sarcastically. He picked up his book and flipped through it. "Too bad I can't read it..."

"What a shame…" Kaoru nodded, mockingly.

"Actually, I fixed these for you, for now at least." Megumi rummaged through her pockets, and produced Kenshin's glasses. "It's just tape, so I won't hold long, but I'm sure a man in town could help you long term."

Kenshin snatched the glasses. "Ah, thank you so much." He smiled and put the crooked glasses on. _Maybe this won't be so bad… _he mused. He opened the book and began to read were he had left off.

A short while after Kenshin began to read, Sanosuke came through the door, covered in mud. Kenshin looked up and watched the scene unfold, not being able to understand their dialect. Megumi asked him something and, upon hearing his answer, smacked him in the head. Kaoru just shook her head, apparently sorry for him. She muttered something and he leaned on her shoulder, with a mischievous smile. He whispered something in her ear and backed away as quick as possible. Kaoru sat in disbelief and then told her sister what he had said. They both began to come after him, as Sano slowly started going backwards.

Sanosuke smiled and turned to Kenshin. "Pen the rani ta wusser mandy a tri-grushi."

Kaoru shouted something, and chased him out of the wagon. He jumped off the side and Kaoru was about to follow him, but stopped and merely shouted, "Dinilo!"

Kenshin heard a few men laughing and Kaoru huffed. She sat down the floor and picked up the dagger.

Kenshin looked between Megumi and Kaoru. "What in the world…?"

Megumi smiled. "You're speaking English again… and what just happened in a long story…"

Kaoru piped up in Romanian, "It's not that long of a story… it's not like we have a history together! I mean, come on, I meet the guy once and he ties to sweep me away... You can't just do that!"

Kenshin made a face. "Sanosuke, you mean?"

"No!" Kaoru shouted. "That's disgusting!"

Megumi raised an eyebrow at Kaoru. Kaoru bite her lip and Megumi spoke, "No, Kaoru is talking about some guy she fell in love with at the market. He wasn't Gypsy, and he knew her for five minutes, but it was love at first sight!"

"Sister!" Kaoru shrieked. "I can't believe you! I didn't like the man and you're telling this to a total stranger!"

"See! She's blushing!" Megumi continued. "That proves it!"

Kenshin shook his head and returned to his book.

_Women… I'll never understand them…_

---------------

"Wake up, Raklo."

Kenshin stirred in his sleep but did not wake.

"Come on, lazy, get up."

He covered his face with the pillow and blocked out the noise.

"Get up!" the voice shouted, while pulling him out of the bed and onto the hard floor. Kenshin sat up and held his bandaged chest. He looked up to see the person who woke him. He saw Kaoru, standing with her hands on her hips, looking slightly annoyed.

"That hurt…" he grumbled.

"You didn't wake. What was I supposed to do?" She turned and picked up her sheathed dagger. She slipped it into her belt and headed for the door. She called to him, "We're home, by the way."

_Oh joy… _he thought.

----------------

"Up this way is where we live," Megumi said as she point out their, rather large, castle-like home that was probably built in the medieval era. She began to help him up the pathway. Before Megumi could open the large wooden doors, they swung open. There, standing in the door was a tall, muscular man, with jet black hair and a big bushy beard. His blue eyes seemed overjoyed at the arrival of Megumi and Kaoru, who was trailing behind.

Megumi left Kenshin's sided, and went to the bushy bearded man. He hugged her and started speaking in Romany. He then went to Kaoru and squeezed her tight, lifting her off the ground. She started coughing and he released her. The man turned to Kenshin with a confused look.

"This is my father," Megumi explained. "Bulibasha of the village, Koshijirou Kamiya."

"Happy to meet you sir," Kenshin bowed as far as he could, then winced and held his side in pain. "It's an honor…" he groaned.

Megumi went to his side, "Idiot! What are you bending for! You'll kill yourself!"

"Well, I didn't want to be rude…" Kenshin muttered between pained breaths.

"Come!" Koshijirou shouted, ushering them inside. "Let's feast!"

Megumi brought Kenshin up the stairs and into a quiet room. There was a bed in one corner, a writing desk in the other, and shelves filled with books. The floors were covered with hand-made rugs, and a few paintings of scenery hung on the walls. Kenshin lay down on the bed and Megumi turned to leave.

"I'll bring you up some food," she told him before closing the door.

Kenshin nodded to himself. "Right…" He looked around at the books and read the titles. He pulled out one that interested him and hobbled back to the bed. He flipped it open and began to read through his crooked glasses.

_Regions of Romanian, Part I_

_Chapter I: Carpathian Mountains and Surrounding Areas-_

_The Carpathian Mountains are the-…_

---------------

After a few hours of reading about Romanian geography, Kenshin had dosed off. Soon after, however, he was awoken by the sound of shouting outside his room.

He sat up; his was vision blurred for a moment, so listened to the voices. They were speaking Romany, and seemed to be frustrated. One voice was that of a man and the other was that of a young woman. Kenshin got up and grabbed a cane that rested against the nightstand next to his bed. He made his way to the slightly open door and peeked through the opening.

The young woman was Kaoru, who was arguing with another man Kenshin had never seen. He was tall, and extremely handsome. His jet black hair was tied back, showing off his brilliant blue eyes. He had a confused look at the moment, which made him seem even more handsome. Kenshin made a face and watched the two a little.

Kaoru said something catty and the man grabbed her wrist. His blue eyes burned through hers and they stood there, silently testing each other. She scrunched up her nose and looked away. The man sighed and said something. Kaoru didn't move, so he turned her head by her chin. She said something, but the man didn't seem to hear. Instead, he pulled her lips up to his and kissed her. Kaoru stopped for a second; her whole body shivered. She then registered what was going on, and pushed the man back. The force of her shove made him smack against the adjacent wall. He stepped back form the wall and looked down upon her. She looked at the ground and he began to walk away. When he was gone, she looked up, and her eyes fell upon Kenshin, who was hiding behind the door.

"Raklo?" Kaoru stared at him. "Were you watching that?"

"N-No, I just happened to-…" Kenshin stuttered.

"Huh…" she muttered turning away. Her face was red and she crossed her arms. "Guess you think I'm just some brute of a girl, born under the wrong sign…"

"Born under the wrong sign?" Kenshin asked.

"My father wanted a boy… but all he got was a girl who only acted like a boy…" Kaoru scrunched up her nose, like she was disgusted with her self.

"Well, I don't think you act-…" Kaoru gave him a sharp look and he stopped mid-sentence. "Maybe a little…" he muttered.

"That man was the only one in the village that even considered courting me… and I-…" Kaoru looked at the ground. Her mood suddenly swung and she shouted, "Damn it!" Kenshin looked at her, slightly confused. She shook her head, "This is getting me no where,I'm leaving."

"What? You're just gonna leave like that?" Kenshin said, starting to follow her as she walked down the hall.

"It's my house, I do what I want," she called over her shoulder.

"Wait!" he shouted, trying to keep up.

She turned sharply. "What is it you want, Raklo!"

"Uh…"

"Listen, I don't particularly like you, and I don't think you have a voice or say in my affairs, so keep out of it." She turned to leave again.

"But-…"

"What!" She turned and pulled out her dagger. She held the tip of the blade near his throat. "I _don't_ need you or your help. Next time you stick your nose in my business this blade flies." She sheathed the blade and walked away.

Kenshin rubbed his neck. "Crazy women…" He turned to go back to the room and was startled to find Megumi hovering over him, with a tray of food in her hands. He stopped short, so as not to knock over the tray and starred at her.

"Just what _are_ you doing out of bed!" She shushed him back into the room and set the tray on the writing desk. "I brought you the food I had promised, and I see you found that cane I left you. It's only to walk _very_ short distances… not to roam the castle with."

"Thanks, _Mom," _he said, sarcastically.

"You Americans," she shook her head, while walking out of the room, "are so weird."

---------------

A week or two passed, and Kenshin's leg was healing up. Megumi agreed to let him wander the floor he was on, but if she caught him on the lower or upper levels of the castle, or even close to the stairs, she'd lock him in his room till he was completely, and without a doubt, healed. He agreed, slightly annoyed that mot people treated him like a child. He hardly ever saw Koshijirou Kamiya, or Kaoru for that matter. Since their 'meeting' in the hall, Kenshin only caught a glimpse of her now and then.

As Kenshin wandered the grand hallways, he starred at the paintings of the previous Gypsy royalty. Men with black beards starred down at him, disapprovingly. Many generations' eyes pierced through him. Kenshin looked at the floor until he came upon a room. The door was closed so he knocked timidly. When no one answered, he gently opened the door.

"Hello?" he called, seeing if anyone was in the room. He stepped in a looked around.

The room was obviously someone's bedroom; there was a plush bed in the corner, and a writing desk. Kenshin limped towards the desk and shuffled through the papers. Some were letters, and some were drawings. They drawings were of things that would be in the area; rabbits, deer, nature. They weren't half-bad drawings, and they all had the same signature. Kenshin looked through the letters, most were friendly letters from around town, or from nearby towns. Some, however, were labeled to Nepal, China, France, and Italy. Kenshin looked through these letters and read a few. They were all in English, surprisingly, and all addressed to the same person. The writers of the letters talked about their country, they're lives, and how they've been affected by the war.

Kenshin then turned to a dresser near the table. On the dresser-top were all sorts of trinkets, handmade, and a few daggers and carving knives. He turned around and on the opposite wall, hanging up, was two bows, a quiver full of arrows, and a revolver. Kenshin starred for a moment then looked around the rest of the room. It was messy; clothes were everywhere and the bed wasn't made.

Suddenly Kenshin heard footsteps at the door. He heard the boots stop at the open door and the owner take a sharp breath inward.

"What!" he heard Kaoru gasp.

"Where is he?" Kenshin said, picking up a note on the dresser.

"Wha-…. Who?" Kaoru stumbled for words.

"The boy, who's room this was… he was young, wasn't he? Probably an adolesant?" Kenshin looked around the room once more, and turned to face Kaoru. "I haven't seen a boy around here, where is he?"

"I-…"

"He left abruptly, didn't he?" Kenshin's eyes searched Kaoru's. "His possessions, are in the exact same place they were, before he left… Everything seems to lived in for his departure to be planned. What happened? Who was he? Kaoru?"

Kaoru's eyes watered up, and for the first time since Kenshin had met her, she seemed as weak and dependant as a child. She swallowed hard and looked around the room before answering.

"Yahiko…"

-------------

A/N:

Hey! Very mysterious, no? I hope so…. I'm not good at cliff hangers… I get too anxious myself, and don't want to wait for the next chapter! Haha…

So, this was an uneventful chapter! I would have liked more, but oh well! And I'm trying to develop Kaoru's character more. I'm so trying to portray her as this tough, cold-hearted, strong, sarcastic girl, who is a little more complex then what everyone thinks.

You also must have noticed Kenshin's character. He seems very OOC in the begining because that's what I want to portray him as; very timid, a bookworm, ect. But as time will go on, he gets a little... rougher I guess would be the word. In the next chapter you'll see it as well.

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW: This fiction's song is Trip Through Your Wires by U2 off their album, Joshua Tree, 1987. The chapter titles are now the lyrics from the song. They fit and I love that song so that's that. (And I suck at chapter titles!)

For the readers:

Someone asked a good question. In case your still confused, Romany is the language of Gypsies, and Romanian is the language spoken in Romania. Now, I just happened to set this in Romania, but Gypsies are all over the world.

Also, Gypsies are not from Romania orgianally. You might think this because another name for Gypsies is Romany (used on Cowboy Bebop by Faye). It is believed that Romany people are from India originalty, before their kind mirgrated to the west.

Just thought I'd clear that up.

Thanks for all the support! Everyone is commenting on how this is a very original and imaginative story, and I appreciate that.(I got the idea partially from Van Helsing) It makes me want to keep writing. Thanks esspecially to Lillienne! You rock girl!

Anyway!

Translations:

Sako peskero charo dikhel- Everyone only sees their plate (Romany)

Pen the rani ta wusser mandy a tri-grushi- Tell the lady to throw me a shilling (Romany)

Dinilo- Idiot, stupid (Romany)

Bulibasha- leader of a gypsy village (Romany)

Raklo- non-gypsy boy

Ciao!


	4. Lips were Dry, and Throat like Dust

Dragostea Nu Are Ochi

Chapter Four

-

_For those immensely dense readers who've missed the past three warnings, all translations will be in the A/N_

-

_She swallowed hard and looked around the room before answering._

"_Yahiko…"_

"Yahiko?" Kenshin questioned. "Who is that?"

Kaoru leaned against the wall. "My brother…. My younger brother…."

"What happen to him? Where is he?" Kenshin walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

She backed away and pulled out a dagger at the same time. "Don't you barge in here, and get into a family matter that has nothing to do with you, and think that you can make everything better! You can't!" She held the knife to his throat. "You can't bring him back, no matter how smart you are…" Kenshin said nothing and starred at her. She wiped her eyes and pulled the dagger out of his face. "Get out of here, Raklo. Next time I catch you in here, I'll kill you."

Kenshin leaned on the cane and walked out. He looked back at Kaoru, who was starring out the window of the room, and walked back to his room.

-

Two days later, Megumi came in to check on his wounds. She told him his leg was healing fast, but his arm and the gash in his abdomen were taking a little bit slower then normal.

As she changed the bandages wrapped around his stomach, he starred into a corner, thinking deeply. "Megumi?" he finally asked.

"Yeah?"

"What happened to your younger brother, Yahiko?" He looked at her, waiting for an answer.

For a moment, Megumi's hands stopped, but then, after her mind registered what Kenshin had said, they started moving again, rhythmically wrapping the wound. "Yahiko… He was so bright… and he was a fighter too… better with a sword then anything, though. He was a curious person from birth… he sent out four copies of a letter to people that people in town knew. He never had met them, but he wanted to find out about other cultures." Megumi smiled, lovingly. "Kaoru was closer with him then I, but now I think I regret that."

"What… happened to him?" Kenshin asked again.

Megumi shook her head in reply.

"Where is he?"

Again, Megumi said nothing.

"Please… tell me."

"A what good would it do?" she said, quietly. "You know nothing of our culture… you know nothing of our past… you hardly know _us_, so why on earth would you care so much? Your own perverse pleasure? Curiosity? Well, let me remind you that the cat always dies."

"Megumi… please?"

She tied his wrapping tight and stood. "He was kidnapped, okay? Are you happy? You found out. Kidnapped. Taken while hunting. Now stop interfering with our affairs." She turned and walked out of the room. Before she closed the door she stopped. "And before you ask, he was taken by the demons of Germany… or one of their inane followers."

She slammed the door shut and Kenshin ran his hand through his hair. "What kind of world did I crash into?"

-

The next time Megumi came in to check on Kenshin, she was colder then usual. She roughly changed his bandages and didn't speak to him at all.

"Megumi," he tried to butter her up, "I'm sorry, but I thought I could be some help…"

She said nothing, but tugged on his bandages.

"Ouch… okay, fine. What if I tell you something about my past… will that make us even?" Megumi said nothing, so he continued. "Okay, I wasn't born in New York City… I was born in England. Although, I don't know if I'm English or not. My mother and a great grandparent on my father's side were Japanese… but other then that, who knows. I think my father was part Irish or something. It would explain the red hair. Anyway, I grew up all over the world… And I traveled a lot, because my uncle, who raised me, was an archeologist, so he traveled. My parents died when I was young. Disease, I think. So, is that enough information for payback?"

"No…" she muttered while getting up to leave. "But I think if you tell me more when I come next time and the time after that, maybe I'll forgive you." She smiled, devilishly, and left the room.

"Oh joy…" he muttered. "I've made a contract with a vixen… well… it's not the first time."

He smiled, guiltily, and walked towards the bookshelf. "Let's see… What shall I read today? We have: Regions of Romanian: Part I-XI, Gypsy Traditions, Gypsy History, Weapons, Alchemy, and… no name?" Kenshin picked up the book tucked in the middle of the others. The title on the cover was in a language he didn't recognize, so he figured it was Romany. He flipped open the book and scanned a few pages. It looked like a diary, and, by the handwriting, a diary of a young girl.

"Ah-ha…" He smiled. "A page in Romanian." Kenshin softly read the writing aloud, "'I don't want papa to read this, and I know he can't read Romanian. Nanosh told Sanosuke that he wishes to court me when I'm older! That's great news! He is so handsome! I can't wait till I'm old enough! I hope I'm still pretty!'" Kenshin chuckled at the girl's wishful thinking.

"That girl had a lot of hopes," a voice at the door said. Kenshin turned on his heel and saw Kaoru standing there, her wavy black hair framing her face, and her blue eyes were calm. "I'll be taking that."

Kenshin wiped the sweat off his forehead. "You scared the life out of me! And I think I'll be keeping this book. It's interesting."

"You can't read Romany! Now give me the book." She held out her hand for the book.

"There are pictures…"

"A scholar like yourself is interesting in looking at the drawings of a young girl?" She held her hands on her hips. "You're being silly."

"Ah, but you're the one being silly. Why does a book this small mean so much to you? And thank you for noting that I am, indeed, a scholar." He held the book out to tease her.

She reached for it, but he pulled it away. "Because I like to look at the pictures, which reminds me, you still can't read that thing."

"Ah, but Megumi can. I'm sure she'll have fun translating with me." Kenshin smiled and stood. "I'll keep it for now, but maybe you should ask another time… I might be in a good enough mood then." He tucked the book under his pillow and rest on the bed.

"You arrogant divio, dinilo! …… KUSHTI RATTI!" She slammed the door shut as she walked out of the room.

"Good night to you to, princess." Kenshin smiled to himself.

-

"Well?"

Kenshin looked up as Megumi changed his bandages. "Well what?" he asked.

"We had a deal… you were gonna tell me about your past and I'd forgive you. So, start talking." Megumi smiled and put down the bandages.

"Ok… I told you I traveled a lot, so I guess I'll tell you about all the places I went. Actually part of the reason I traveled was because my uncle wanted me to be strong. He wanted me to be able to take care of myself. I learned to fight all over the world. I learned Fencing in France, Kung-Fu in China, and Kenjutsu in Japan." He paused for a moment, reminiscing. "My years in Japan were possibly the wildest ones I've ever lived. I spent most of my early twenties there, but the reason why is a story for another day. I'll start from the beginning then, to keep the story simple. I'm sorry, am I rambling?"

"No," Megumi laughed. "I understand fine."

"Good. Well, I grew up in England till I was seven. I was a pickpocket after my parents died, until one day, while running from the police, I found myself on the stairs of a British museum. I tried to get inside, to give the cops the slip, but a large man grabbed me by the collar and told the police that I was his 'rough-around-the-edges' nephew and that he'd deal out my punishment."

"So the man you call 'uncle', isn't actually your uncle?" Megumi asked, interested in Kenshin's tale.

"No," he laughed, "he's not actually, but in my mind he is. He is a great man… when he's not being egotistical. He's very complex, and, to this day, I never understood why he took me in. But he did, and he taught me many things. I learned history, architecture, science, mathematics, and art, all under his watch. He told me that I was a brilliant student, when I wasn't being stupid… and, God, did that confuse the hell out of me when I was young. Then, one day, I got into a street brawl. I was 13, and no where near strong enough to hold my own. It was then that my uncle thought I should learn the art of fighting. He said that a smart man would change the world, but a man who had strength and a brain, would rule it. So, I decided to take on the world." Kenshin rubbed his chin nostalgically.

From behind the closed door of the room, someone sneezed suddenly. Kenshin smiled and called out, "You can come in, if you'd like."

The door opened, and Kaoru stood there with a sour look. "I wasn't sneaking," she said, while scratching her nose. "I came for my book."

"What book?" Megumi asked.

"Well, Megumi, I think that's enough for today," Kenshin told her, to avoid answering. "Come again tomorrow and I'll tell you some more."

Megumi huffed, "Alright, but don't think you're getting out of telling me. I'll find out, sooner or later." She walked out of the room. Kaoru watched her, to make sure she went down the hall, and then closed the door.

"I want my book," she said, sternly.

"Ah, so you admit the diary is yours?" Kenshin smiled.

"If that's what I must say to get it back, yes, it _is _mine." Kaoru stepped forward to get the book.

Kenshin leaned his back against the wall. "I never said you could have it back, but thanks for the information."

"I'm warning you, Raklo…" she growled. "Give it back."

"I found another Romanian entry. This one is closer to the end… were you older?" Kenshin took out the book and started to flip through the pages, looking for the entry.

"Raklo…"

"Here it is: 'Soon I will the proper age and Nanosh will ask Father to court me! It's exciting! Yahiko said he is a great hunter. I wonder if he'd show me how to hunt. I always wanted to. Father will only let me follow from a far-…'"

Kaoru clenched her jaw in annoyance. "Stop…"

"'I wonder if Nanosh would allow me to go to far away places. I've always wanted to cross the ocean.'"

"Stop it." She rolled her eyes.

"'He is so handsome. I love his blue eyes and his smile.' Aw, that is really sweet. I didn't know you had a soft spot for blue eyes, princess." Kenshin tried not to laugh.

"How did you know my family was-…?" Kaoru questioned.

"Easy," he answered, snapping the book shut. "There's a painting of your grandfather in the museum. I pass it hundreds of times a day while touring families around the museum. Besides, your house is enormous. How could I not suspect your family to be royalty?" Kenshin tossed the book in his hands a bit.

"You're a bright one, Raklo," she smiled. "My father rules a vast area of Gypsy territory. My brother was to inherit that land, but I'm sure you know what happened to him, by now. Megumi can't keep secrets well. Anyway, we've gotten off topic. I want my book back."

"Hmm… well, I don't know. Maybe tomorrow, maybe not. Depends on if I'm in a good mood." Kenshin teased her again.

"Raklo!" she shouted as she quickly walked up to his bed. She leaned over him, pulled out her dagger and again held it to his throat. "Give me that book."

He just smiled, knowing this was her way and answered simply, "No." He crossed his legs around hers and hit the back of her knees. Her legs buckled and she fell on top of Kenshin's chest. "Now, I didn't have you pegged as a fast type of girl, princess." He smiled and her face turned red.

"You let me go, dinilo!" she shouted, hitting his chest.

"Ouch… Easy there, princess, remember I'm the injured one here." He grabbed her arms. "Now, who's Nanosh? He isn't the one that I saw you with the other day, is he?"

"Let me go!"

"Answer and I will."

"He is! Let go!"

"Why the sudden change of heart towards him?"

"Because I'm a different girl from the one who wrote in that book! That girl knew nothing of hardships. She didn't even know how to wield a sword! Let go!" Kaoru bashed her head into Kenshin's and he instantly released her. She sat up, across from him on the bed.

"Ouch…" he said, holding his forehead. "Nice move though. I'll be sure not to underestimate you."

"You be sure to, or it'll cost you your life one day." She crossed her arms. "Can I have my book now?"

"And loose the reason you come here?" He sat up and grabbed the book. "I think not."

"You are impossible!" she shouted. "And you're a completely different person then I thought you were!"

Kenshin looked at her, confused. "What?"

"I thought you were some little, pessimistic bookworm who had no spine." She crossed her arms. "Obviously you're much different. Why the change?"

"I didn't know what kind of people you were, so I acted innocent. Just a matter of knowing how to get what you want." He smiled and fixed his crooked glasses. "What's the matter, don't like me now?"

She smiled like a fox and headed towards the door. "I think I like you more now then I did before…" she answered without turning around. She closed the door and Kenshin grinned.

-

"Wake up, Raklo!"

These words barely made it through to Kenshin's sleeping brain. He turned over and ignored the annoyance. Someone grabbed his shoulder and shook him.

"Raklo!"

He swatted at the person who shook him and hit said person's face.

"You rude dinilo raklo!" the person shouted in his ear. Kenshin felt himself be flung from the bed and onto the floor. "I can't believe you hit me!"

"Huh?" Kenshin looked up, his eyes barely open. "What'd I do?"

"You hit me!" he heard Kaoru yell at him.

"Oh" he muttered. "Sorry." He stood up and stretched, while adjusted his eyes to the light. He felt for the bedside table and found his glasses. When he put them on, he saw Kaoru and noticed the red mark on her cheek. "Oh my God, how on earth did that happen?"

"You idiot! _You _did it!"

"Oh…" He made a face and repeated, "_Oh_…" He lifted his hand up to look at it but she pulled away.

"What kind of gentlemen are you! You pull women on top of you; try to touch their faces, and what's next? Proposing without asking my father!"

"Sorry… didn't know all that was terribly huge here."

She crossed her arms. "Well it is. You shouldn't touch a woman in anyway unless you're courting them."

"Sorry. For that and for hitting you. I really didn't mean to… I just kind of do that when I sleep." Kenshin rubbed the back of his head. "So? Why'd you wake me?"

"My family wants you to join us in the hall for breakfast." She started walking to the door, muttering to herself, "I don't know why, he's just some stupid raklo perdal l paya…"

"Well, I'll be right there," he answered. She left the room and Kenshin pulled his shirt off. Megumi had told him that extra clothes were stored in there, in case of guests. He threw his old shirt on the floor and went to the dresser to look for a shirt that might fit him. Kenshin then heard footsteps coming down the hall and saw Kaoru appear in the door.

"Oh, and before I forget-…" she stopped short and her cheeks gave a twinge of color. "I-I'm sorry, I should have knocked." She turned around immediately.

"Don't worry about it," he laughed. He pulled a white shirt over his head and said, "It's fine now."

Kaoru turned back around. "I was going to say that Nanosh will be joining us, so no funny comments. And if you do-…"

"Yeah, yeah, the dagger bit, I know," Kenshin answered. He walked past her and started down the hall.

"You still have a limp… do you need your cane?" Kaoru asked watching him walk.

"Maybe I should, because your sister will chew me out if I don't." He started to walk back to the room.

"And what about that sling she told you to wear?"

"It itches," he muttered while grabbing his cane. Kaoru shook her head disapprovingly, and Kenshin grabbed it. "I'm telling you, my arm is fine, my leg is fine, and the only thing I'm worried about is the nasty gash in my abdomen."

"Stop being a child and put the sling on before she sentences you to permanent bed rest!" Kaoru hissed at him.

"Why you want to get down there so fast? You want to see someone?" he teased as he put the sling around his arm.

"Oh shut up." Kaoru shoved him through the door and toward the stairs.

When they arrived in the dining room, Kaoru's father rose to greet them. First he strangled Kaoru with a hug, and then he slapped Kenshin hard on the back. Soon Megumi arrived, followed by a hungry looking Sanosuke, and finally the man Kenshin presumed to be Nanosh walked in. He had a cool look to him, like he was ready for anything. His slick black hair was tied back with a black string and his black ensemble complimented his crystal blue eyes. He had a long sword on his left hip and a pistol on his right. He bowed, first to Koshijirou Kamiya, then to the rest of the table, and sat next to Kaoru. Kenshin eyed him from across the table and smiled hypocritically at him.

"Besh!" Koshijirou called out happily. They all sat and Kenshin followed along. The bulibasha began a long, boring, and obviously one sided conversation about something. Kenshin sat there, eating the bread in front of him, occasionally glancing and Kaoru and Nanosh together. When Koshijirou stopped talking, the servants brought out breakfast. There were baskets of strange fruit, plates of fish and chicken, and bowls of hard boiled eggs.

Kenshin's eyes widened at the selection. Koshijirou noticed this, and laughed, "Si tut bocklo?"

The table laughed and Kenshin stared at them. "What?"

"He asked if you were hungry, because, by the way you're eyeing the food, you look as if you haven't seen food in days," Megumi explained.

"How do you say 'yes'?" Kenshin asked.

"Hai," Megumi replied.

"Ah, so," Kenshin turned to Koshijirou, "Hai"

The leader laughed heartily and the meal commenced. While they ate, Kenshin couldn't help but notice the conversation that was going on between Kaoru and Nanosh while the rest of the table had a much louder conversation. He also couldn't stop watching Kaoru's face.

_What's wrong with me? _he asked himself. _I can't believe I'm hooked on the face that loves to torment me… _

Kaoru looked up and met his gaze for a moment. She turned away to respond to something Nanosh said to her.

Breakfast was soon over and Nanosh was the first to stand. He whispered something in Kaoru's ear and she turned red. He then said something out loud to Koshijirou and the whole table gasped, including Kaoru.

Kenshin, as clueless as ever, begged Megumi to tell him what was going on, but she sat there unresponsive and staring at Kaoru. Kenshin heard Koshijirou say something, and mixed in his answer was the word 'yes'.

"What's going on?" Kenshin asked, extremely confused.

Nanosh turned to him and, with a cool smile, said in Romanian, "I've asked for Kaoru's hand in marriage."

-

A/N:

Spontaneous, I am.

Man, I am so burnt from finishing a project like 5 minutes ago. But I'm glad I finished this chapter. Nanosh is an interesting character. He's kind of one of those last minute deals I whipped up.

The only hard thing about this fiction ('sides when I was making up chapter titles) is the language barriers I have to work with… I mean I know I did this to myself, but damn, sometimes it's so annoying that Kenshin doesn't understand what they're saying, and since this is following Kenshin's point of view, it's hard.

Anyway, the plot thickens, and it's getting good. I have this whole thing in my head that's going to happen and I can't wait… it'll be awesome. A lot of the stuff will be kind of off the top of my head, but then again, that's the way I write. New idea every minute…

I have used the word minute 3 times now… and I just figured out how to spell it. I seriously would be lost without spell check… Haha that's why they have it though, for idiots like me!

Translations: 

Divio- crazy (Romany)

Dinilo- idiot (Romany)

Kushti ratti- good night (Romany)

Raklo- non-gypsy boy (Romany)

Perdal l paya- from across the waters (i.e. America, the western world) (Romany)

Bulibasha- gypsy leader (Romany)

Si tut bocklo- are you hungry? (Romany)

Hai- yes (Romany) (Yes, I do realize Hai also means yes in Japanese, but I think it's a coincidence. There might have been mixing of the cultures since Gypsies are originally believed to have been from India, as I have said, but I'm not sure on that.)


	5. Thunder, Thunder in the Mountain

Dragostea Nu Are Ochi

Chapter Five

----------------

_Must I say it again! Translations are on the bottom you divio dinilo! Look THAT up!_

----------------

Kenshin's face paled. Not only was this man incredibly suave and good-looking but he spoke perfect Romanian. On top of that, he had just proposed to Kaoru.

_Bloody hell,_ was the first thing to come to Kenshin's mind. He rarely spoke with his British accent, never mind curse with it. "Con-congratulations..." he stuttered.

Kaoru looked at him as if he were insane. Surprisingly, she responded in broken English, "I don't say yes."

"You didn't?" he asked. "Doesn't he speak English?" he motioned to Nanosh.

"No, and I don't get married. I can't." She tried to make sense between her accent and broken dialect.

"Then tell him that," Megumi piped in. "Tell him you're not ready."

"I don't ever be ready, Megumi," she said to her sister. "Not for him."

"Excuse me," Nanosh cut in, speaking in Romanian. "It's terribly rude to leave others out of a conversation."

Kenshin rolled his eyes, _Tell me about it…_

Kaoru looked at Nanosh, her eyes showed no pain. "Na," she told him no, in her native tongue.

Nanosh looked at her in disbelief. "S-So?"

"Na," she repeated.

Koshijirou shouted, "So keres! Si tut divio!" He asked Kaoru what she thought she was doing.

"Phen?" Kaoru turned towards her sister. Megumi nodded to Sanosuke who stood.

Sanosuke stood over Nanosh and placed a hand on his shoulder and told him to go, "Za." Nanosh didn't move and Sanosuke tightened his grip, "Za, dinilo."

"Na," Nanosh said firmly, still not moving.

Koshijirou looked at Nanosh, "Za."

"Vaida!" Nanosh asked, shocked.

"Za!" the leader shouted. Nanosh hung his head and left the room.

Kenshin watched the scene play out and became incredibly confused. He then felt that he was no longer supposed to be in the room so he quickly excused himself. He headed upstairs, where he collapsed on his bed and sighed.

--------------

"Raklo..." someone whispered in Kenshin's ear. "Psst, Raklo, wake up."

Kenshin sat up and looked around the room. Kaoru was sitting on his bed. He reached for his glasses and saw her better.

"What?" he whispered.

"I'm leaving," she told him, "to find Yahiko."

"What!" he gasped. "How the hell did you come to that conclusion while talking about marriage?"

Kaoru sighed and stood, "Dinilo…"

"You're calling _me _the idiot? You're the one that is making no sense what so ever." He stood up and fixed the buttons on his shirt. "Why are you going after Yahiko?"

"So I don't have to get married, of course," she said blatantly.

"That's what I don't get!" Kenshin yelled, extremely confused.

"Look, if my brother was here, he was to take over the kingdom, and now that he's not, either me or my sister has to, but we have to be married. Megumi isn't expected to get married early, because she's a woman of science, and no one really would want to marry her anyway. So it falls on me," she explained. "Now I have to go find him."

"Does your father know your going?" Kenshin asked.

"No… and he won't find out," she smiled at him, "now will he?"

Kenshin rolled his eyes. "Who's going with you?"

"No one. I don't need anyone." She got up and headed for the door.

"Hold on," he blocked the door. "Your telling me that you're going out on some crazy trip, chasing after the Nazi's who took your brother, all alone?"

"Yes, and their not Nazi's, per say." She tried to get past him but he didn't move.

"Nazi-like people, ok? And that doesn't change the fact that you're doing this alone. You could get hurt."

"Are you kidding?" she starred at him. "I could get killed. Getting hurt is expected."

"Oh God, you're joking! You can't possibly expect me to sit here and let you do this to yourself!" he shouted.

"It's not an expectation, it's a requirement." She jabbed him lightly near the wound on his stomach and he buckled over. "I'll send Megumi up here for you."

She stepped over him, to leave, but he grabbed her ankle, causing her to fall. "Let me come with you."

"Are you kidding?" she exclaimed, now on the ground next to him. "You're seriously asking me this, even though you are so wounded, you fell when I barely touched you!"

Kenshin got up with a smile, "You're the one who fell for it, which just proves that you shouldn't go out there alone."

"You're not coming with me,"

"You're not leaving alone."

"Fine!"

"Good."

They both fell silent for a moment and starred at each other. Kaoru stood up and brushed off her pants. "Then I guess I'll be leaving in the middle of the night, so no _pests_ follow me."

"Then I guess I won't be sleeping much for the next few nights." He walked over to his bed and sat.

Kaoru crossed her arms. "That might just be a trick, you know."

"Then I guess I'll have to be on guard all the time." Kenshin leaned back on his bed and closed his eyes.

"You don't seem to be on guard to me," she said, putting her hands on her hips.

"You don't seem to be leaving to me," he told her.

"Well, I just might!" She turned around started walking down the hall.

"I doubt that!" he shouted to her. "Pain in the-…"

-----------------

Kaoru snuck down the halls of her large home. The sword at her side lightly tapped against her leg as she walked towards the door. Before she opened the massive passageway, she checked that she had everything with her. She had a sword, dagger and handgun, for protection. She also had a bag with some food and a book with a black cover.

She opened the door slowly, and slipped out into the night. She began to make her journey down the long dirt road that lead to the outskirts of the village. When she reached the edge of the forest she planed to cut through, to make her journey shorter, she stopped. She sensed something was not right.

"Where you going?"

Kaoru jumped, startled, and turned on her heel. Kenshin stood behind her, arms crossed and a smug smile on his face.

He walked up to her and took out a map from his pocket. "Won't you be needing this?" he asked, dangling the paper in front of her.

She smiled sarcastically, and took out the book with a black cover. "Won't you be needing this?"

Kenshin stared at his copy of Les Miserables. "I knew you took it!"

"I didn't want you telling my father that I left, so I decided to give you a little hint that I was leaving." She threw the book at him and turned to continue on.

Kenshin followed her into the woods and grinned. "So you _didn't _want to go alone!"

"Please, Raklo. Even if I didn't, I'd ask Sano to come with me because he'd be better protection then you!" She rolled her eyes and pushed back a tree branch. "I just didn't want you to talk!"

"Sure, princess," he said mockingly.

-----------------

Back at the castle, Megumi began picking up on strange things about Nanosh. While she was up in the middle of night, walking around because she could not sleep, she heard him talking in his sleep. At first, she didn't think anything of it, but when he started speaking in an odd language, she became worried. He had told her father he only spoke Romanian and Romany, but this language was neither. Word's like, _anschlag_ and _jetzt_, came up in his vocabulary. Megumi had never heard these words before, and became confused by this.

The next odd thing to happen was before breakfast. Megumi went to Nanosh's room, to inform his that breakfast was ready, but when she got to his room, he quickly jumped and covered up something that he was writing. He shouted at her as well, which he had never done.

"Abschied!" he shouted. "Uh… Va!"

Megumi quickly closed the door and walked down the hall. He had spoken in the same strange language, but she couldn't place it.

_I suppose I should go check on Kenshin then,_ she thought to herself. However, when she arrived at the room, she found it empty. She didn't think to much of it at first, but when she saw that his book and glasses weren't there, she began to worry. Then she saw a book on the table with a page ripped out. She turned the book over and read the title._ "Regions of Romanian, Part I"_

_Oh no…_

----------------

"Should we rest?" Kenshin asked, holding his side, lightly.

"What wrong, Raklo, tired?" Kaoru laughed. "That's what you get we you take on a long journey and your still wounded."

"It's been almost a month and a half! I'm fine! I was just worried… about you. You know, you might be getting tired or something…" he said, trying to make it sound believable.

"Fine," she laughed. "I have some food, if you want some. It's almost lunch now, I suppose, so you must be getting hungry."

"Yes, please," he answered, while collapsing to the ground. She handed part of her lunch and sat next to him. He looked over at her, his mouth full of food, and asked, "Where do you expect to find your brother?"

Kaoru looked up and answered, "I really don't know." She took a bite of her lunch. "There was some rumor of a Nazi camp that still running about 25 miles north of here."

Kenshin took out his map of Romanian that he had ripped out of a book. "We are here," he told her, pointing near where the Arges River and the base of the Carpathian Mountains met. "You're telling me, that you expect to climb straight over the mountain and get to around this area?" He point to a spot on the direct opposite side of the mountains.

"Yes."

He looked at her for a few moments. "You're nuts."

"Yes."

"Well," he turned back to the map and studied it, "we could head towards the Olt River and follow that through the large valley in the Carpathian Mountains."

"But that's almost 15 miles from here! We'd be going out of our way." Kaoru whined and took the map. "Why can't we just go through the mountains?"

"Because, if we did, we'd be trying to go over the highest peaks in the mountain range, Moldoveanu, which 8,346 feet high," he said, matter-of-factly, as he pointed to the peak on the map.

"Fine," she muttered. "To Olt it is, then."

-----------------

A few hours later, they had reached the Olt River. The afternoon was turning into evening slowly, so Kenshin and Kaoru decided to stop and make camp for the night in a small clearing next to the river. Kaoru started a fire, with the help of some matches, Kenshin had in his pocket, from New York. Kaoru brought some water from the stream to the fire in a canteen she had. They sat and watched the fire burn, not saying a word, while sharing the water.

"Kaoru, I don't get something," Kenshin said, suddenly. "If you didn't want me to come with you, and you didn't want me to tell your father, why did you tell me your plan in the first place.?"

Kaoru looked up at him and he notice her cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she tried to think of an answer. "I-…. I didn't want you to worry about where I was…." she lied weakly.

Kenshin laughed, "I thought what you did wasn't any of my business. And, why would you care if _I _worried. The one you should be thinking about it Nanosh."

"Well…" She starred up at the stars.

"You didn't tell him, did you?" he noted.

"Nope." She smiled and leaned back on a tree. "After asking me to marry him, I don't know if I could face him."

"Why?" Kenshin looked at her. "Are you afraid to turn him down or… afraid to tell him yes?"

She smiled in a way that Kenshin had never seen before. It was sweet, and thoughtful. "I don't really _love _him, but I am apprehensive about saying no."

"Why?" Kenshin questioned, seeing how far he could get her to open up.

"I guess I just don't want to hurt him, and I don't want to let down my father. He thinks that Nanosh is the only man that would ever want to marry his rough daughter." She sighed. " I wasn't always 'rough', you know."

Kenshin sipped from the canteen. "Really?"

"No," she continued, "I used to be a very sweet little girl. I always acted like a princess because I was my father's favorite. However, when my mother died when I was sixteen, I… changed a bit. I realized that I have to take care of myself and be independent, because no matter how much my father loved my mother, it didn't save her. I started to learn how to wield swords and shoot then, so I could be self-sufficient."

Kenshin looked into her eyes, and for the first time, understood her a tiny bit more.

She smiled again and looked at the fire, "That's when I really started to bond with Yahiko. So when he was kidnapped five months ago, I was devastated and I became even more…. 'rough' and cold then I was before." She looked back at Kenshin and laughed, "I'm sorry, I'm rambling."

"No, it's ok, I understand," he said, while putting his hand on hers. "I was married before."

"What?"

"Yeah, when I was much younger, I was married. She was the love of my life, but she passed on." Kenshin sighed and leaned back on the tree as well.

"How?" Kaoru asked, sympathetically.

"Brain aneurysm. They couldn't explain exactly why she died when she did, but they said it was something that you can't really prevent all that much. She had been home alone, and when I got back from work, she was on the floor."

"That's terrible," Kaoru said, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"At least the last conversation we had was a good one. I had asked her if she was happy. The last thing I said to her before I left was that I loved her. She had smiled and said she loved me too. She knew I cared about her, and that's all that really matters, I suppose." He faced Kaoru and shook his head. "It's just weird. I never thought that was going to be our last conversation. Makes you realize how precious life is."

Kaoru nodded and asked, "What was her name?"

"Tomoe."

"Such a beautiful name…" she said in awe.

"Yes. She was Japanese. I met her when in Japan studying kenjutsu when I was fifteen. Soon after I turned seventeen we got married. She died when I was twenty, after only three years of marriage." Kenshin smiled at Kaoru. "I guess I should be over it, but once in a while I have nightmares about her death."

"No, it takes a long time to heal from a loved ones death," she said as she leaned closer.

"Yeah…" Kenshin leaned in as well. Their noses almost touched. "You have really pretty eyes," he told her.

She leaned forward more. "Thank-…"

Suddenly a twig snapped in the forest and they heard a growl coming from the trees. The two jumped to a standing position and held out a weapon; Kaoru with her gun and Kenshin with her sword. They heard another nasty growl and then a bark.

"Wolves," Kaoru whispered. They heard an unearthly howl that confirmed Kaoru thought. "What should we do?"

Kenshin looked around as a few pairs yellow eyes watched their movements. "I'mlive inNew York! How should I know about wolves!" he whispered hoarsely.

"Are you good for nothing!" she whispered back, which made him realize the tough Kaoru was back.

Kenshin looked at the river behind them, the look at the wolves as the began to come out from behind the trees. He looked at Kaoru and then looked back at the river again.

"Oh no, I'm not doing that," she told him, as she figured out his plan.

"You got another idea?" he asked as he back up to the edge of the deep river. He smiled and grabbed her by the waist. He looked down into the ravine of water. "Ready?"

"No!"

"Now!" he shouted as he jumped backwards. The wolves chased them to the edge of the river then stopped and left.

"See!" Kaoru shouted when they both resurfaced. "Even the wolves weren't stupid enough to jump in here! And now our food it soaked!"

"I left my book there!" Kenshin grumbled. "Damn it! That was a limited edition copy! Bet it's wolf food now…"

Kaoru splashed him and shouted, "Forget about your damn book! We have bigger problems!"

"Like what!" he yelled back.

"We're in the middle of a damn river!"

With a bit of effort, Kaoru grabbed a rock and hoisted herself up out of the river. Kenshin tried to follow, but ended up back in the river. Kaoru lent him a hand and he made it to land. They continued on their journey, after a brief argument on why Kenshin shouldn't go back to retrieve the book, and hoped that what they were about to go through would not be in vain.

-------------------

A/N:

Long time no write, eh? Well this old thing was just sitting about in my computer and I just thought I'd finish it and update, for my _fans_ (hahahahahha, me, having fans…. Hahahah)

So, I hope you liked it, because it was actually fun. And, in case you didn't know, the epilogue of Gunshot Roses was posted. A crappy chapter, but it wraps things up nicely. It also leaves room for a sequel. So that may be in your future.

What also may be in your future is a new and different version of New York and Cherry Blossoms. I believe what I _may_ do is delete the whole damn story and rewrite it differently and better. I think that it is what my "fans" deserve. (hahahahahh "fans" hahah) So be on the look out for that!

Translations:

Divio- crazy (Romany)

Dinilo- idiot (Romany)

Raklo- non-gypsy boy (Romany)

So keres- what are you doing? (Romany)

Si tut divio- are you crazy? (Romany)

Phen- sister (Romany)

Za- go (Romany)

Va- go (Romany)

Vaida- leader (Romany)

So- what? (Romany)

The language that Nanosh was speaking isn't gonna be translated just yet! Keep reading to unravel the mystery!

Well, that's all from me for now!

-Ciao


	6. I was Down and You Lifted Me, Honey

Dragostea Nu Are Ochi

Chapter Six

--------------------

_If you don't know where to find translations by know… go look 'em up in a dictionary, Who knows, you just might learn something… but I doubt that._

-------------------

"So what are you're plans?"

Kaoru looked up from staring at the path. It was early morning, and they had just started walking again. After a long silence Kenshin had spoken to try and lighten the mood.

"My plans for what, Raklo?" she asked, watching him from the corner of her eye.

"Saving your brother, obviously! What do you think? We're just going to waltz into a heavily guarded Nazi camp and retrieve your brother?"

Kaoru made a guilty face, "Well I expected there to be some fighting…"

Kenshin rolled his eyes and said nothing. He thought for a long time before announcing, "We need a plan."

------------------

Back at the Kamiya home, things became stranger and stranger. Nanosh seem even more high strung then ever. Megumi tried to tell Sanosuke what she thought was going on with Nanosh. However, every time she tried, Nanosh would come down the hall or walk into the room.

He also started constantly looking for Kaoru. He would search the castle and shout her name. Megumi finally told him that she went to a nearby village and that maybe Kaoru needed some time away before she would say yes to him. He didn't entirely believe her, so he went to ask their father.

Their father agreed with Megumi's story, only because Megumi wrote him a letter, as Kaoru, and told him the same exact thing. Nanosh believed this for a while, but then realized what was going on. That's when things started to get dangerous.

Megumi walked upstairs to retrieve her medicine bag. She had left it in the room Kenshin had been staying. She opened the door, only to find Nanosh standing over the bed, reading something.

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

He turned around and Megumi saw the disgruntled look on his face. "Where's the idiot American?"

"What business of yours is that?" she told him icily. She picked up her bag and walked out of the room. Before she reached the door, Nanosh grabbed her arm.

"Tell me, now."

She laughed in his face, "Don't try to play these games with me. You know who my father is."

"Where is he? He's with her, isn't he?"

"Let go of me, now."

"Where did they go?"

"Release me."

"Where are they!"

"Let me go, bastard!" she shouted and slapped him hard on the cheek. He let go of her and stared at her with livid eyes.

"Know your place!" He punched her in the jaw. She fell to the ground and cradled her cheek in her palm. Nanosh grabbed her hair and pulled her up to stand. She fought back tears as he brushed some of her hair out of his hand. "Where the hell are they?" he asked, grasping her neck. "Where would she go with that son of a bitch?"

"What the hell is going on here?"

Nanosh immediately let go of Megumi and she turned around.

"Sano!" She ran to the tall man and hugged him. "Thank God."

He put his hand on her back. "Either she's some kind of masochist, or you were hurting the poor woman."

"This insolent woman slapped me," Nanosh said. "She should know her place. I swear, education is wasted on women. They only become bolder."

Megumi's jaw dropped and she ran to attack him. "You pig stealing, son of a bitch!"

Sanosuke grabbed her and held her back. "I want the whole story, now." he said.

------------------

Kenshin and Kaoru sat behind very large tree, just outside of huge metal gates. Inside the very large gates, was the Nazi camp they had been searching for, and the place, Kaoru believed, where they we're keeping her brother. Kenshin looked at Kaoru and sighed deeply.

"This is a ridiculous plan," he told her, leaning his head on the tree. "I don't look like a Nazi."

"Raklo, stop pouting for a minute and look at it from my point of view." She turned towards him. "My brother is in there, and I can't very well waltz in there and ask for him back."

"You're right. I highly doubt you can waltz at all." He laughed and felt the edge of a sharp piece of metal next to his throat. "Put the dagger away. You need me to help you."

She sheathed her dagger. "I wouldn't be asking you this if you hadn't followed me. It's your own fault."

"You deliberately took my book, so I would follow you!" he said in a horsed whisper.

Kaoru suddenly covered his mouth with her hand. Kenshin heard soldiers talking a familiar language. She huddled close to him and motioned for him to be quiet.

The guards, after hearing something, walked towards the tree Kenshin and Kaoru were hiding behind. Kenshin could feel Kaoru's heart racing as she inched closer to him, so she wouldn't be seen. The guards were talking to each other and moving closer to the tree.

They stood right on the other side of the tree, and Kaoru hid her face in Kenshin's shirt as he began to feel his pulse race. They could hear the guards footsteps come closer and closer, until-…

Another voice, from far off, shouted to the guards and they answered back. After a moment's hesitation, they turned back towards the gates and went inside. Kenshin and Kaoru sat there, breathing heavily and trying to get their thoughts together.

"That was way to close," Kaoru sighed.

"Mph hmph ph." Kenshin tried to talk through Kaoru's hand, which still happened to be covering his mouth.

"Sorry," she laughed lightly and moved her hand. They looked at each other for a moment, realizing how close they actually were, then Kaoru turned a light shade of red. "I was trying to…"

"I know."

"I wasn't…"

"I know."

"You're so…I mean…urgh!" She went to stand, but Kenshin caught her wrist and gave her an odd look. He placed his hand lightly on her cheek and she tried to pull back a little.

"Just for a second," he told her. "Who knows if we'll see each other again."

She relaxed and leaned her head on his shoulder, slowly. "We will."

He placed his arm around her back and sighed, "Maybe."

"Why are you doing this?" she asked him suddenly.

He answered with a grin, "To help you."

"You don't even know me, or my family. You never met us before, and I'm mean to you all the time. What reason would you have to help us?"

Kenshin laughed half-heartedly and said, "Maybe because I just honestly care. I honestly want to help, just for the sake of helping. Besides," he continued, moving his back a little, "I never turn down a lady in need."

"I don't need your help," she told him again while moving closer to him.

"I know you don't." He smiled softly.

Kaoru suddenly felt tears swell in her eyes and her throat tightened. "You're risking your life to help us."

"Are you crying?"

"You have nothing to gain and yet you continue to try to help, like the dangers that are present aren't even here." She brushed the tears in one eye away.

"You _are_ crying. Weird."

"No one has ever done something like this. Not even Nanosh. He was the one hunting with Yahiko. He didn't even offer to go after him. Yet, here you are, a stranger, and you are marching into a place where unspeakable things take place, just to help us."

"I actually had this theory that you didn't even have tear ducts."

"What's wrong with you!" she shouted, smacking him hard in the face. He fell backwards and she sat there with her hands on her hips. "I'm baring my soul and you… you're just…"

He propped himself on the tree and pulled her down to him. Her cheeks held a twinge of red and he smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She laid her head on his chest and didn't say a word. Kenshin stroked her hair while his mind raced with questions.

_Will I be able to do this for her? _

------------------

Nanosh laughed in Sanosuke's face. "Why am I going to waste my breath on you? You're just a lowly peasant and the only reason I know you is because you're hopelessly trying to have your way with Megumi."

"That's not true!" Sano shouted.

Nanosh reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun. "Regardless," he pointed the firearm at Sanosuke and Megumi, "I want to know where Kaoru went with that American bastard, and I want to know now."

"Calm down, man." Sano said. "Let's just relax and-…"

"Listen… I've been working towards the moment where I marry Kaoru ever since I arrived in this village. It would mean control of a huge population and land. Think of the power I would have if I owned the land your family does…" Nanosh made a disgusted face. "However, that stupid woman had to go, be all self-righteous and try to save her dumb brother. That's where she went, right? That's the only place I could think of. She finds him, she doesn't have to marry me."

Sanosuke shook his head, "You're confusing the hell outta me, so just tell me what's going on!"

Nanosh smirked. "I'm a bad guy and I'm going to lock you two up in the dungeons downstairs, so you don't squeal to that pathetic leader of yours."

Nanosh lead them down the stairs and into the dark prison chambers. He shackled Megumi to the wall by her wrists, and Sanosuke next to her.

Nanosh grinned devilishly. "Now, I'm going to leave you two here to chat while I go to find your sister and her pathetic little 'Raklo,' as you people call him."

"Who are you?" Megumi asked weakly.

"I'm just a follower of Hitler, trying to finish the job." Megumi turned white when he answered and Sano's mouth hung open in shock. Nanosh had a sadistic look in his eye as he turned to leave. "You wanted to know, and now you do."

---------------

"Speak Romanian," Kaoru told him, as she fixed his shirt collar. " If you speak English your accent will give you away."

Kenshin looked anxiously at the gates. "This isn't going to work."

"Let's pray it does," she said hopefully. Kaoru brushed off his shit and looked at him. "Tuck your shirt in." Kenshin mumbled something under his and shoved the ends on his shirt into in pants. Kaoru shook her head and fixed his shirt. "Much better."

"What are you going to do here?" Kenshin asked.

She shrugged her shoulders, "Wait for you, I guess."

"What if I don't come back?" He looked at the ground.

"Then I'll go to Plan B."

"Marry Nanosh?"

Kaoru looked at him like he was crazy. "No, raid the place."

"Kaoru, if I don't come back but tomorrow morning, go home and settle down. Find someone nice. Not necessarily Nanosh, because I hate the guy, but someone." Kenshin kicked some dirt on the ground.

"Are you kidding? Abandon my brother like that?" she said, shocked.

"It's not abandoning him-…"

"What are you trying to say then?"

Kenshin crossed his arm and closed his eyes. "That your brother might not be alive."

"What!" she shouted. "You don't think he's alive?"

"I'm just saying that it's a possibility that they killed him by now," he coughed, trying to cover what he said.

She stared at him and said, "If your too afraid to do this, I'll be happy to."

"No, I'm just-…" He sighed heavily. "Just forget it. I'm going in there. Just… don't get caught out here."

Kenshin turned to walk on the path to the gates but Kaoru put her hand on his shoulder. He turned and she looked down at her feet.

"Be careful," she said quietly.

"I will."

She smiled and leaned in towards him. She kissed his cheek and pulled back to look at him.

"Was that a 'good luck' kiss?" he asked, smiling. She laughed and he turned to leave. She watched him walk down the path, from the protection of the trees, and felt herself get choked up.

"Akana mukav tut le Devlesa," she whispered.

------------------

A/N:

I don't pretend to know the true horrors of the Holocaust. I don't pretend to know what it's like to have to live in the grotesque and disturbing places that are concentration camps. I'm not even going to go into the living conditions too much next chapter, because I just don't know what it was like. I wasn't there.

Also, I don't pretend to know everything about Romany (Gypsy) culture. If I get something wrong, feel free to tell me so, just don't flame me.

Anyway, all in all, it was a good chapter. This fiction might be shorter then I had anticipated, but hey, if I get everything in there, it doesn't really matter.

The original plan for this chapter was to have some K&K action (no wam bam thank ya ma'm, but you know, maybe a kiss), but I watched Sleepy Hollow last night (I am a Tim Burton groupie! His movies always give me inspiration!) and I just decided to change it up a bit. I love that movie so much. Anything with Johnny Depp and Tim Burton is the greatest. Like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Tim Burton's films will forever give me the boost I need to write.

However, changing that part might cause a friend of mine to kill me, since she read the original… oh crap…

Definitions:

Raklo- non-Romany boy

Akana mukav tut le Devlesa- And now I leave you to God (A funeral comment)

That's all from me!

Ciao


	7. You Put Me Back Together Again

Dragostea Nu Are Ochi

Chapter Seven

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_Due to a recent loss of sanity, I will not make a joke here to remind you where the translations are. I will, however, make you cut down a tree with a herring if you ask me. That is all. _

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"Halt!"

Kenshin raised his hands and shouted back at the guards who stopped him, "I'm here… to join you!"

--------------

Sanosuke tugged and shook the chains that bound him to the dungeon wall.

When their was no sign that they were losing, he shouted, "Damnit! That bastard is going to do something! I know it!" Sanosuke smacked his body against the wall. "That man's a psycho and he's going after Kaoru and the Raklo!"

Megumi sighed. "Calm down, we're helpless. We can't do anything."

"That's exactly my problem!" Sanosuke yelled, starting to tug on the chains again. "We got to help Kaoru! That nut job is gonna hurt her!"

"Oh so it's _her _you care about…?" Megumi hid her eyes. Her voice suddenly became slightly pathetic and sarcastic. "Here I am all chained up and your thinking about Kaoru…"

"Megumi, quite it," Sanosuke said impatiently. "And you know I-… wait, did you hear that?"

The two lowered their voices and listened very closely to the sound of small voices. Megumi swallowed hard, hoping it wasn't Nanosh, while Sano's mind raced with questions of what to do. They could now make out the conversation the two voices were having.

"I told you! It's haunted! Didja hear those voices! It's really haunted!"

"I don't believe it! That was just some mice!"

"Mice that speak?"

"Shut up, Vosho! I'll tell Daj you forgot to tie down the horses that night!"

"Corin! You can't!"

Sanosuke looked at Megumi and she started laughing. "I can't believe our luck," she blurted out between laughs.

"What was that!" they heard one of the young boys say.

Sanosuke called out to them, "Hey! We're stuck over here! Get us out!"

"Vosho, it's true! There're are ghost!"

"We're no ghosts!" shouted Megumi. "I'm the Bulibasha's daughter, Megumi Kamiya!"

The kids came closer and saw that Megumi and Sanosuke were chained against the walls like slaves. The older child, Vosho stared at them, then turned to his little brother. He whispered something in the younger boy's ear and then looked back and the pair against the wall.

"If you truly are Megumi Kamiya, the medicine woman, what are you doing in the castle dungeon?" the kid said, while smirking triumphantly

"Because, we are the victims of a heinous crime, that will get much worse if you kids don't release us now!" Sanosuke roared, getting annoyed with the young boys.

Megumi kicked Sanosuke for being impatient and said, "Please, Kaoru Kamiya is in grave danger…"

------------------

"Bucharest?"

"Yes, sir. I'm a linguist, and a archeologist of sorts."

Kenshin's eyes nervously darted between the man interrogating him and the guards with the large guns at the door. He was in a lavish room in a well protected building of the work camp. The walls were covered with portraits and rugs. There was an obnoxiously large fireplace on one wall and a well carved table had been placed in front of it. Behind the table sat a very fat man, wearing a Nazi officer uniform. His pudgy hands were folded on the table in front of him and on his slightly pig-like face was the look of someone who was in constant discontent.

"So you're all brains…" the man said. He shifted his weight and sighed, "And what good would you do us here?"

"I'm not sure what use you could put me to, but I sincerely want to help your cause here, sir." Kenshin bowed, respectfully. "I believe in what you're doing here."

"And what is it you think we're doing here, Mr. Himura?"

Kenshin paused for a long time. "Eh-…"

"Hmph," the pig-like man scoffed. "We are minions of Hitler. Even though the war is over, and the Nazi regime is seemingly defeated, there's not many who are willing to come out here and stop us. No… the only ones who would have the balls to do it is the Americans, but they're too busy cleaning up after the mess made in so many other countries, including their own. However, by the time they realize what we're doing, we will be powerful enough to overtake them in battle, and rise up, for Hitler! We will take over once again, and thus proving to the world that we are right!

"So you see, Mr. Himura, that we are not only here to kill a lesser race known as "Gypsies", but to seize the world as Nazi territory!" The man slammed a fat fist against the wooden table. "We _will_ rule! And in doing so, create a superior race that shall have the ultimate empire! Greater then Alexander's Empire! Greater then Rome! With more power then America ever will have, we shall rule!" The man slammed both hands against the table and pushed himself into a standing position, knocking over the chair he had previously been sitting on in the process.

Kenshin felt like he was shrinking into non-existence during the husky man's speech. When the stout man stood, Kenshin slinked so far back in his chair that he felt he had almost fall out. The heavyset man eyed Kenshin skeptically. However, before he could say another word, the door swung open, revealing a tall, well built man with a thick moustache. The man was wearing a high-ranking Nazi outfit as well, but with a few more decorations.

The man smiled at his fat comrade, "General Wilhelmina is easily excitable. Maybe I can show you around the grounds while he cleans up his office and calms himself down."

Kenshin nodded mutely and followed the man into the corridors. The man explained that they were using the Romany people as workers, to build a airplane hanger and such. It wasn't so much a holocaust as it was free labor. Kenshin listened, barely able to conceive what was going on in the camp he breached.

--------------

"What do you mean, 'away on business'!" Megumi shouted at a timid house maid.

"H-he told me to tell you that if you came back from wherever you two were…" the maid said, partially protecting herself with a feathered duster. She look back and forth between the two and something in her head finally clicked. "Where _were_ you two!"

"That's none of your business!" Megumi barked, while Sanosuke just smiled thoughtfully. "What should we do Sanosuke?"

Sano's playful expression turned into a very serious look in an instant. "We've got to go after that sick bastard!"

"With what?" she pleaded. "A weapon? The village officers? He's got the better half of a day's head start on us! What could we possibly do?"

Sanosuke made a very confused face, "I don't know that, woman!"

--------------

"And here," the man said, while opening two large metal doors, "is where we keep our 'worker bees'"

Kenshin's face paled as he tried to keep the look and air of indifference going. His mind was shouting profanities at the man whom he was trying to impress. Inside the building were rows and rows of young boys and men sleep two and three to a blanket. Scarborough, as Kenshin came to realize was the man's last name, lead him through the middle of the rows. Kenshin was sure to look at every boy's face, trying to find something familiar.

He then stopped short, and starred at a boy. The young man was in his early teens. He had messy black hair that stuck out in odd directions and very hostile amber colored eyes. The boy looked back at Kenshin with the utmost hatred. Kenshin couldn't place it, but there was something in his eyes, however faint, that reminded him Kaoru in so many ways there was no denying it.

He had found her brother.

Kenshin was shocked by this realization. So much so that he didn't notice Scarborough calling him. He turned back to the tall man and said that the boy looked familiar. Kenshin then went to follow him but turned back towards the boy and gave him a wink, before completely devoting his attention to Scarborough.

-------------------

Later, after Scarborough had invited him to stay and assigned him a room in the main house, Kenshin sat on the bed, thinking of escape plans. He starred at the ceiling, and no matter how much he tried to think about plans, his thoughts kept drifting back to Kaoru. He worried about her safety out in the woods, but tried to dismiss that because she was able to handle herself. However no matter how hard he fought it, she came back into his mind.

He jumped to his feet and ran his hand across a wooden dresser. A cloud of dust formed from the movement and Kenshin sneezed loudly. He was insulting the cleaning crew when his plan for escape with Yahiko Kamiya came to him.

------------------

"You want a personal maid?" Wilhelmina said in surprise.

Kenshin shook his head. "No. I want someone to clean my room. I have terrible allergies and would be of no use to you if I was to become sick. Really it's to your advantage if I have someone clean my room."

"How very persuasive, Mr. Himura." Scarborough smiled. "Go ahead."

Kenshin bowed and walked out of the room, beaming. His plan, so far, was working. He went to the large facility with the huge metal doors and walked inside. He went down the rows, looking for someone. When he stopped at the spot where he had seem the boy who had to be Kaoru's sibling, he was shocked to find that he wasn't there.

He panicked for a moment, then shook a boy near the spot awake. When he asked him where the Kamiya boy went, the child answered, visibly afraid, that Yahiko was sent to work in the kitchen. Kenshin ran to where Scarborough had said the kitchen was and searched through the crowd for striking amber eyes.

He saw the top of the young boy's head and grabbed him by the shoulders. The boy was startled and dropped the plate in his hands.

"I'm sorry…" he immediately said, with no sincerity.

"No, it's fine…" Kenshin said, between panting. "You must clean my room, now!"

"W-what? I'm afraid I don't understand, sir," the boy said, looking at Kenshin as though he was crazy.

Kenshin grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the kitchen. "Come!"

They finally reached Kenshin's room, where Kenshin locked the door and stuffed a towel under the crack between the door and the floor.

"Listen to me," he said quickly. "I'm from New York City. I crashed in Romania and Kaoru Kamiya found me." The boys eyes grew wide and the mention of Kaoru's name. "Are you not Yahiko Kamiya, who was taken in the woods near your village?"

"I-I am, sir," he stuttered, completely shocked.

"No need for formalities, Yahiko, we must leave. Kaoru will be forced to marry a crazed man if we don't leave soon."

Yahiko once again looked at him as though he was crazy. "What? Are you talking about Nanosh?"

"Yes, and if you do not come home he will rule your father's kingdom."

Yahiko looked put out, "I'm happy to be rescued and all, but that's why you saved me? So Kaoru doesn't have to marry Nanosh, who isn't evil at all. What are you, in love with her or something Raklo?"

"You too with that word? I'll escape it…" Kenshin sighed. "We're here to save you, and that's all that matters."

"So what's your plan, Raklo?"

-------------------

"Mr. Himura!"

Kenshin turned and a cold sweat ran down his face. "Ah-, yes?"

Scarborough looked at him strangely. "Are you… carrying out garbage?"

"Ah- yes…" Kenshin smiled guiltily.

"We burn most garbage here, my lad," Scarborough said suspiciously. "And why isn't the worker I ordered you doing that?"

"Well, he was too weak, and this is flammable material, so I'll just throw it into the woods," Kenshin called back as he began to walk towards the gate.

"Wait!" Scarborough ordered. Kenshin froze as the man walked towards him. He could feel the cold sweat become heavier. Scarborough walked right up behind him and looked Kenshin up and down. He squinted his eyes and gave him an odd look.

"There's a dumpster right outside the gates on the South side, so don't just 'throw it in the woods' please." Scarborough sighed and walked away muttering something about stupid young people.

Kenshin let out a huge breath of relief and continued towards the gate.

------------------

"Aven mansa sa lumniake Roma, Kai putaile e romane droma,"

Kaoru sang softly to herself a Romany song. She sighed and continued the next line, "Ake vriama, usti Rom akana, Men khutasa misto kai kerasa"

She looked up at what part of the night sky was visible from her position in the forest and couldn't help the feeling of worry and dread that came over her. She hoped that Kenshin would be fine, and that Yahiko was alright, and still alive.

She suddenly froze, hearing the sound of running feet come towards her. She grabbed her dagger and crouched behind a tree so she could see the path leading up to the Nazi facility. She watched a man stop on the road near her and look around. He was carrying a large sack and looking around for something.

Kaoru crept closer and tried to make out the face of the man, which was impossible in the dark night. She inched closer and closer to the road, silent as a mouse and well covered by grass and trees. She then heard a noise coming from the large gate, as if it was opening and turned to look. When she looked back to where she saw the man, he was gone. She then looked towards the gate and saw no one.

Baffled, she stood and walked closer to the path. She looked around and found nothing, except footprints of the man. She put a hand on her hip and became annoyed.

_What was that about?_ she thought to herself_. I could have sworn I saw someone…_

She turned to go back into the woods but, to her horror, found the man she had seen on the road standing very close behind her and pressing a very menacing gun into her abdomen.

She felt the sweat run down her back and face and let out a gasp, "Nanosh!"

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A/N:

So? Did I do a good job this chapter? Let me know in a review, please…

By the way, this story is (if your too dumb to know) completely fiction. I didn't base the German characters on any real historical figures and I didn't base the place on a real Nazi camp. It just turned out that way in my head. Don't flame me about that please, cause I flame you right back… I am from Jersey you know…. Hah

I'm sorry about the long wait… I was stuck in a moment that I couldn't get out of… and that will be the last bad U2 pun for the day.

Speaking of my favorite band, I listened to Rattle and Hum again, and that was the inspiration for this chapter…

"ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER…. SOMETHING SOMETHING….UHH"

"HAWKMOON, I NEED YOUR LOVE"

Yeah… well I really hoped you liked the chapter (I enjoyed writing the fat man's little speech and the part about Kaoru) It didn't come as easily as others but hell, nothing great does. (I had fun calling Wilhelmina all different names…. Hehe)

Nothing else much to write about except please visit my new website…!

just look in my profile for the link…

Hand cramping…

Ciao


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